The Spring Resort & Spa

What to expect

The Spring Resort & Spa is a small, low-key mineral water hotel on Reposo Way, on the Miracle Hill side of Desert Hot Springs. It was built in 1957 and ran for more than 45 years as The Moors Hotel, a modest hangout with a hand-painted sign. New owners bought it in 2003, renamed it The Spring, and turned it into a spa hotel aimed at rest rather than parties.

The layout is simple. Wooden doors open onto a reception area, and behind it is a courtyard planted with palms and desert shrubs around three mineral pools. Most rooms open straight onto the courtyard. There is a fire pit for evenings, a living room with a fireplace and books, and views west toward Mount San Jacinto. Rooms deliberately have no televisions. Booking listings put the room count at 13, with one larger villa off site.

The hotel draws its water from the hot aquifer under Desert Hot Springs. It says the water comes out at about 170°F77°C, one of the hottest wells in the area, and is cooled before it fills the pools. The operator lists sulfate, calcium, iron and magnesium among the minerals.

The pools

• Large swimming pool. Mineral water, with the temperature adjusted to the weather. An ADA pool lift is available.
• Outdoor soaking pool. Kept at 104°F40°C. This is the hot one.
• Second soaking pool. Held slightly above body temperature, for longer, gentler soaks.

There is also a wood-fired Finnish sauna, an infrared sauna with colored lighting and a cold plunge. The saunas are co-ed and open around the clock to hotel guests. A few rooms have their own private mineral water soaking tub on the patio.

Visit Greater Palm Springs describes all three pools as outdoor, while the hotel’s own day spa page calls one of the soaking pools enclosed. Expect at least one of them to be screened or sheltered.

Prices and booking

Day visits. There are two routes:

• Half Day Spa Pass on ResortPass, listed from $84 including fees in 2026, with pool and spa hours of 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. It covers the mineral pools, hot tub, saunas, towels and parking.
• Book a treatment. Any spa service of 50 minutes or more includes two hours of complimentary pool and sauna access, subject to availability. The hotel suggests arriving an hour early to soak first. Robes, slippers and a locker are provided.

Massages in 2026 start at $150 for a 50-minute signature relaxation massage and $210 for 80 minutes. Deep tissue starts at $175. Body wraps and scrubs run from about $185 to $300.

Weekend wellness. The hotel runs a sound bath on Saturdays ($65) and yoga on Sundays ($25), or both for $85. A $150 package adds two hours of hot spring soaking to both sessions. Times vary, so call to book.

Memberships. A one-month membership is $249 and a three-month one is $599. Both include unlimited use of the pools, saunas and cold plunge, plus treatments.

Rooms. The hotel’s rooms page says pricing has been updated and asks you to call, so check current rates at (760) 251-6700 or through the online booking engine. Treatments need 48 hours’ notice to cancel, or you are charged in full.

Rules and etiquette

• 18 and over. Children are not allowed.
• Quiet is the point. Phone calls are not allowed on the upper lawn or in the pool area. Take them in your room or on the lower lawn.
• No pets. Service animals are allowed.
• Swimsuits in the shared pools and saunas.
• Health notes: The spa asks you to mention pregnancy, asthma, cancer, aspirin therapy or blood thinners when you book.

Getting there

From I-10, take the Palm Drive exit and drive north into Desert Hot Springs. Then head east into the Miracle Hill neighborhood and follow your map to 12699 Reposo Way. Parking is free and on site, and there is a Tesla destination charger for day and overnight guests (call ahead to reserve it).

Downtown Palm Springs is about 10 miles away, and the drive from Los Angeles takes around two hours in light traffic. Palm Springs International Airport is the closest airport.

When to go

November to April is the best time for a Desert Hot Springs soak. Days are warm, and nights are cold enough for the 104°F40°C pool and the sauna to feel right. Weekdays are calmer and more likely to have day spa space. In summer, daytime highs often go over 100°F38°C. Soak early or after sunset.

Where to stay nearby

The Spring is itself a hotel. Its Desert View Villa, 150 yards from the main property, sleeps a larger group in two bedrooms with a full kitchen.

For other mineral water hotels in town, see Tuscan Springs Hotel and Spa, a 21 and over hotel with day passes, or The O Spa + Resort if you want a livelier, clothing-optional scene. Palm Springs, about 25 minutes south, has a much wider choice of hotels.

Nearby stops worth adding

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum is close by. Cabot Yerxa homesteaded here in 1913 and dug the well that found hot water at 132°F56°C, with a cold water well about 600 yards away. That split between hot and cold aquifers is why Desert Hot Springs has both mineral spas and award-winning tap water. His hand-built pueblo is now a museum.

Safety notes

• Hot water: The 104°F40°C pool is hot enough to make you dizzy if you stay too long. Take breaks, and drink water between soaks and sauna sessions.
• Sauna and plunge: Going from a wood-fired sauna to a cold plunge is a big jolt. Skip it if you have heart problems or are pregnant.
• Sun: Courtyard decks get strong sun from spring to fall. Use the shade under the palms and verandas.